Wichita eagle., 1887-04-21
THE GREAT SPHINX.
INTERESTING ACCOUNT OF THE
WORK OF DISAGREEMENT.

Tho Sand Carried Away In Large Bas-
notwithstanding Results from Appar-
emily Inadequate Means-various Elk
vations-Restorations Of Roman Date.
The last occasion on which tie Great Sphinx
was cleared down to the level on which ths
paws rest was In honor Of the opening Of the
Suez canal in 1862 The ever drifting sands
bad, however, reburied it almost to the throat
when Professor Maspero, during his last year
Of office at Boulak, began again the work OF
disintermcnt This work has now been going
on, somewhat Internationally, for more than
twelve months, and Is at the present time in
active progress under the direction Of Pro
fcssor Masperos successor, IL Grebaut. a
trarnway has been laid down from the Sphynx
to tho edge Of tbs Pyramid plateau, passing
close under the west face Of the granite build
ing popularity, though Incorrectly, called the
temple Of tho Sphynx. Along this tram#ay
light trucks convey tie sand to the point CT
which their contents are discharged, the
trucks being loaded by Arabs OF both sexes
and all ages, who carry the sand upon their
heads In large fat baskets ascending and de-
scending all day long from tho excavations
below to the tramway above and vice versa
ASTONISHING RESULTS
The means look curiously inadequate, but
the results are astonishing. Already the en-
tire fore part of the great stone monster Il
laid bare, and the hugo chest, the paws, the
space between the paws, the altar In front OF
them, and the platform upon which they
rest, are once moro open ~ the light OF day.
Nor is this all. Between the Sphinx and the
edge of the Pyramid plateau vast space has
also been cleared, thus bringing to view fine
flight Of stops some 10 feet in width These
steps, which are described by Pliny, were IN
covered by Caviglio in 1S17, bat have been
entirely lost to sight for nearly seventy years
A second fight Ct steps and the remains OF
two Roman buildings were also found by
Caviglia, and will again be brought to light
if Ii. Grebaut continues to work in this dTec-
ton.
To the right of the Sphinx-that is to say,
in the direction Of the granite temple, to the
eouthward, q further excavation IS in pro
Crcss. the result OF which viii probably con
firm the s1rInises Of those who believe the
Sphinx to stand in the midst Of huge arti-
fetal amphitheatre hewn out Of the solid
rock This gigantic work would OF course be
contemporaneous with the Sphinx itself,
which Mariette attributed TO the mythic
aCes before the advent OF Me12a, the frst king
Of the first dynasty, and which Maspero con-
siders to be, ii not actually prehistoric, at all
events the oldest monument III Egypt
From the level OF the area below the great
fight Of steps (which Lead down, and not
I'D, to the Sphinx one now measures the
whole height Of the huge human-headed
monster, whose battered counteuance stands
out against the cIoudless sky 100 feet above.
BETWEEN THE PAWS.
The space between the paws is thirty-fve
feet long and ten feet wide. This space was
anciently converted into small sanctuary
lined with votivo tablets, only one of which
tho famous stella OF Thothmes IV-yet re-
mains in etu. The stella records how the
king when upon one OF bis hunting expedi
tons. Law down to rest at midday in the
shadow OF the Sphinx He there fell asleep,
and dreamed dream in which the venerable
image con jured him to clear away the sand IN
which it was nearly buried. Then the prince
awoke and made silence in bis heart" and
vowed to do that which the god had COM
manded
The paws Of the sphinx as they now appear,
are q restoration Of Roman date, being cased
In cOrnparGClVoiF siildIi SEip,s oiiO W eoAO GA
tent hollow underneath. The breast Of the
sphinx has likewise been faced with slabs. ap-
in Roman times; and these slabs
have again been repaired by cutting away the
yvca.hered surface and inserting fresh fac
ing Like the legs Of the Colossi OF the Plain,
and those Of the great statue of Aboo Simbel.
the paws OF the sphinx ere covered with the
Greek scrawh of early travellers; but these
grafi-ti are mostly Of a Late period and go |
slightly scratched that few are legib.e |
throughout Such as they are, however, |
Professor Maspero has, j: is understood, de- |
voted himself to the ungrateful ard difficult |
task q translating the.a
NJ. Grebaut's excavations are not limited to |
the clearance of the sphinx only. Various |
interesting tonbs have lately been discovered |
in the vicinity OF the great pyramid, and to |
the westward the face Of the Libyan cliff has |
been reached where it forms the natural |
boundary OF the Pyramid plateau. Some |
good early rockcut tornbs, with built fore |
courts, have been found in the face OF this |
Cliff, in two Of which the walled up recesses |
or secret chambers, called Sserdabs," which |
were constructed for the safe keeping OF |
Itinerary portrait statues, are yet intact with |
their conteu.s-LordonT Times